Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma and Takeda Announce the European Marketing Authorization for Latuda® (lurasidone) - a New Atypical Antipsychotic Medication for Adults with Schizophrenia

Osaka, Japan (ots/PRNewswire) -

Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd. ("DSP") (Head Office: Osaka,
Japan) and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited ("Takeda") (Head
Office: Osaka, Japan) today jointly announced that the European
Commission has granted Marketing Authorization for once-daily oral
Latuda(R) (lurasidone) for the treatment of schizophrenia in adults.
The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the
European Medicines Agency (EMA) issued a Positive Opinion for Latuda
on January 23, 2014.

About 3.5 million people in Europe are currently living with
schizophrenia which can have a huge impact on those affected, their
families and caregivers.[1] Symptoms can be diverse and include
hallucinations, distorted reality, depression and social withdrawal.
Schizophrenia is also associated with shortened life expectancy of
10-22.5 years,[2],[3 ]which can in part be due to the undesirable
effects of antipsychotics such as weight gain, increased blood
pressure and increased blood sugar.[4],[5]The leading cause of
mortality for people with schizophrenia is cardiovascular disease[5]
- an estimated 75% die from this versus a general population
mortality rate of 50%.[6]

Prof. Hans-Jürgen Möller, Direktor der Uni-Psychiatrie München,
"We know that many people living with schizophrenia struggle to
remain on treatment due in part to the side effects associated with
currently available therapies. Today's announcement means that
physicians within the European Union will have access to a new
treatment to help eligible patients manage their disease. Flexible
treatments that are convenient for patients and that can help to
control the numerous and complex factors associated with
schizophrenia, may be of value to patients, as well as their families
and caregivers."

The Marketing Authorization was based on a comprehensive clinical
trial program of eight positive studies, which included placebo and
active comparators. The review also contained more than 50 clinical
trials and more than 4,500 lurasidone-treated subjects. Lurasidone
was shown to be effective in treating both positive and negative
symptoms in acutely psychotic patients with
schizophrenia.[7],[8],[9],[10],[11]In short and long term clinical
studies, lurasidone has demonstrated effectiveness with low rates of
metabolic change.[9],[10],[12] It is important to minimize the
adverse effect of treatments on long-term physical health as patients
are likely to remain on therapy for many years.[5]

Lurasidone demonstrated a statistically significant separation
from placebo seen as early as day four on primary efficacy measures
in some of the pivotal trials in schizophrenia.[7] The most frequent
adverse reactions seen in short-term clinical studies (incidence
greater than or equal to 5% and at least twice as frequent as with
placebo) were somnolence, akathisia, nausea, parkinsonism and
dystonia.[13]

Clinical studies have shown that lurasidone was generally
well-tolerated and had low rates of weight increase, as well as lipid
and glucose disturbance, in the treatment of patients with
schizophrenia.[14],[15],[16],[17]

Lurasidone demonstrated significant reductions in mean weight and
BMI over 12 months in contrast to increases in risperidone-treated
patients.[12] In separate studies, lurasidone demonstrated
significant reduction in clinically significant weight gain (greater
than or equal to 7%) compared to quetiapine XR over 12 months[18],
and patients switching from olanzapine to lurasidone experienced mean
weight loss during the subsequent 6 months.[19]

"Lurasidone is the DSP Group's core product for global expansion,
and I am very pleased that we have achieved the important milestone
of the approval of lurasidone for schizophrenia in Europe," said
Masayo Tada, President and Chief Executive Officer of DSP. "We intend
to build upon the success lurasidone has shown in the United States
and through the partnership with Takeda to ensure we provide this new
treatment option to patients across Europe."

"We are very pleased with the marketing authorization of
lurasidone in the European Union," said Yasuchika Hasegawa, president
& CEO of Takeda. "We believe lurasidone represents an important new
treatment option for people in Europe living with schizophrenia. This
milestone also enhances our central nervous system franchise, one of
our core therapeutic areas."

Latuda will be marketed in the UK by Sunovion Pharmaceuticals
Europe Ltd., a subsidiary of DSP, and across Europe by Takeda
subsidiaries.

About Latuda(R) (lurasidone)

Latuda is an atypical antipsychotic, developed originally by
Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd. ("DSP") with a high affinity for
dopamine D2, serotonin 5-HT2A and serotonin 5-HT7 receptors where it
has antagonistic effects. In addition, Latuda is a partial agonist at
the serotonin 5-HT1A receptor and has no appreciable affinity for
histamine or muscarinic receptors. Latuda was approved for the
treatment of schizophrenia in adults by the United States Food and
Drug Administration in October 2010, by Health Canada in June 2012,
and by the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products in August 2013.
Lurasidone was launched as Latuda(R) for the treatment of
schizophrenia in adults in the United States in February 2011 and in
Canada in September 2012 through DSP's subsidiary Sunovion
Pharmaceuticals Inc., and in Switzerland in September 2013 through
Takeda. In Japan a Phase III clinical study is underway for the
treatment of schizophrenia by DSP. Furthermore, we plan to launch the
product in Australia, Taiwan, China and Southeast Asia.

About schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a severe chronic mental condition which can
affect both men and women. Patients with schizophrenia have a life
span that is decreased by approximately 10-22.5 years compared with
the general population.[2],[3],[20],[21]

Antipsychotic pharmacotherapy is the cornerstone of treatment for
patients with schizophrenia, with agents generally classed as typical
or atypical. Atypical agents are broadly considered to have
tolerability benefits over typical agents.[22] Switching
antipsychotic medication is common in the treatment of patients with
schizophrenia either due to residual or emergent symptoms, adverse
events or tolerability issues.[23],[24]

Direct and indirect costs associated with caring for patients with
schizophrenia are considerable and can include utilization of other
health services, pharmacotherapy, community care, supportive therapy,
informal care and private expenditures, and patient and caregiver
lost productivity.[25],[26] Hospitalization associated with patient
relapse can significantly increase costs associated with disease
management in schizophrenia.[27]

About Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd.

Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd., defines its corporate mission
as "to broadly contribute to society through value creation based on
innovative research and development activities for the betterment of
healthcare and fuller lives for people worldwide". By pouring all our
efforts into the research and development of new drugs, we aim to
provide innovative and effective pharmaceutical solutions to people
not only in Japan but also around the world in order to realize our
corporate mission. Additional information about DSP is available
through its corporate website, http://www.ds-pharma.com.

About Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited

Located in Osaka, Japan, Takeda is a research-based global company
with its main focus on pharmaceuticals. As the largest pharmaceutical
company in Japan and one of the global leaders of the industry,
Takeda is committed to strive towards better health for people
worldwide through leading innovation in medicine. Additional
information about Takeda is available through its corporate
website,?http://www.takeda.com.

References

1) European Commission (Heidi wiki): Health in Europe. Available from:
https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/sanco/heidi/index.php/Heidi/Neuropsychiatric_health/Schizophrenia
. Accessed 12/11/12
2) Healy D et al. Mortality in schizophrenia and related psychoses: data from
two cohorts, 1875-1924 and 1994-2010. BMJ Open 2012;2:e001810
3) Tiihonen J et al. 11 year-follow up of mortality in patients with
schizophrenia: a population-based cohort study (FINN11 study). Lancet 2009;374:620-7
4) De Hert M et al. Nat Rev Endocrinol 2012;8:114-26
5) Balf G, et al. Prim Care Companion J Clin Psychiatry 2008;10:15-24
6) Hennekens CH et al. J Clin Psychiatry 2007 ; 28(Supp13) :4-7
7) Nakamura M et al. J Clin Psychiatry 2009;70:829-36
8) Nasrallah H et al. J Psychiatric Research 2013;47(5):670-7
9) Meltzer H et al. Am J Psychiatry 2011;168:957-67
10) Loebel A et al. Schizophr Res 2013;145(1-3):101-9
11) Ogasa M et al. Psychopharmacol [Berl] 2013;225(3):519-30
12) Citrome L et al. Int Clin Psychopharmacol 2012;27:165-76
13) Company Core Data Sheet/ Swiss SmPC, June 2013
14) Kane J. J Clin Psychiatry 2011;72(Suppl 1):24-28
15) Pikalov A et al. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2012;22(Suppl 2):S340
16) Citrome L. Adv Ther 2012;29:815-25
17) McEvoy J et al. J Clin Psychiatry 2013;74(2):170-9
18) Loebel A et al. Schizophr Res 2013; 147: 95-102
19) Stahl et al J Clin Psychiatry 2013
20) Chang C-K et al. Life Expectancy at Birth for People with Serious Mental
Illness and Other Major Disorders from a Secondary Mental Health Care Case Register in
London. PLoS One 2011;6:e19590
21) Laursen TM. Life expectancy among persons with schizophrenia or bipolar
affective disorder. Schizophr Res 2011;131:101-4
22) Lewis DA and Lieberman JA. Neuron 2000;28:325-34
23) Faries DE et al. Clinical and economic ramifications of switching
antipsychotics in the treatment of schizophrenia. BMC Psych 2009;9:54
24) Tsutsumi C et al. The evolution of antipsychotic switch and polypharmacy in
natural practice - A longitudinal perspective. Schizophr Res 2011;130:40-6
25) Salize HJ et al. Cost of schizophrenia in six European countries. Schizophr
Res 2009;111(1-3):70-7
26) Mangalore R and Knapp R. Cost of schizophrenia in England. J Ment Health
Policy Econ 2007;10(1):23-41
27) Zeidler J et al. The costs of schizophrenia and predictors of
hospitalisation from the statutory health insurance perspective. Health Econ Rev
2012;2(1):9

ots Originaltext: Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd. and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
Media Contacts: Sunovion Europe Media Contacts, Suzanne Walsh,
Phone: +44-2083928051, swalsh@rdcomms.com; Claire Grindal, Phone:
+44-7887-643964, cgrindal@rdcomms.com; Takeda Media Contacts: Elissa
Johnsen, Takeda Pharmaceuticals International GmbH, Phone:
+1-224-554-3185,
elissa.johnsen@takeda.com; Media Contacts in Japan: Dainippon
Sumitomo
Pharma Co., Ltd., Corporate Communications Dept., Phone:
+81-6-6203-1407
(Osaka), +81-3-5159-3300 (Tokyo), Takeda Pharmaceutical Company
Limited,
Corporate Communications Dept. (PR/IR), Phone: +81-3-3278-2037